Rocker switches for electrical circuits, particularly wall switches for electric lights, are known. One example of a known rocker-type wall switch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,920. In that design, the rocker paddle has limited pivoting movement about an axis parallel to the wall in which the switch is mounted. When the switch is operated, the pivotable rocker paddle tilts a coil spring relative to the plane of a pivoted contact-carrying brush, and moves the lower end of the brush into or out of engagement with fixed contacts. Cams on the rocker paddle are also urged into engagement with the pivoted brush by the coil spring. The cams hold the lower end of the brush in engagement with one of the fixed contacts under pressure from the spring. The spring additionally acts to cause the rocker paddle and brush to snap into position either into or out of engagement with the contacts without further effort by the user once the rocker paddle is moved to just past its midpoint.
This type of switch has been in widespread use in electrical wall switches for many years. However, it does have some disadvantages. One disadvantage is that this type of design requires substantial depth behind the wall plate to accommodate the coil spring and the contact-carrying brush. This takes up valuable space when this type of switch is used in a conventional wall box, which in turn limits the space available for other circuitry, such as dimming circuitry or other control circuitry, in the wall box.
There is a need for a rocker-type switch which can be operated in response to light finger pressure, operates with limited pivoting movement to keep the switch substantially flush with a wall plate so that it will not protrude objectionably from the wall plate, consumes almost no space beyond the space consumed by the switch paddle itself, and provides tactile feedback, or a balanced operating "feel, " to the user. The present invention fills that need.